Day 1

0800

I arrived at the location of the cryptid sighting. The driver, a local, told me I wasn’t the tenth to visit the town this month, and that he’ll be ferrying two more here tomorrow. If that’s his way of telling me that there’s no hope of finding it, then he’s dead wrong. I’ve been longing for this day since I first heard the legend from my great-grandparents when I was a kid. I don’t care how many “red flags” this place seems to be raising. I’ll make Daniel eat his words when I take a picture of that cryptid.

1000

I’ve settled down at the local motel. The driver certainly wasn’t lying about the abundance of cryptid hunters here. Although, they seem more like tourists than anything. A bunch of posers. I bet they can’t even list all the food that the cryptid eats or its sleeping cycle. They see a bunch of merchandise of the cryptid, and they’re all hooked. Unlike them, these worthless trinkets mean nothing to me, and it will mean nothing to them when I find the cryptid. I will prove to my parents that this dream is worthwhile, even in this broken world.

1300

Just had lunch and ready to set off. I admit, I did find the “Cryptid Meal” adorable. Their attempt at creating an image of the cryptid with food is commendable, especially when the dish is delicious, too. Anyway, I hitchhiked for the majority of my trip there and walked the rest. The mistake that all “cryptid hunters” make is carrying too many supplies with them. The trick is to scavenge food in the forest itself. Sure, it’s not recommended considering what happened That Day, but hey, the vegetation doesn’t seem poisoned. I would know. Still, I’m not aiming to risk my life on this endeavor, even if it’s my lifelong dream. I suppose I’ll have to be careful.

1500

Found a good spot to rest about a kilometer into the forest. I can’t believe people would rather spend their money on useless souvenir junk than actually interacting with the forest. How many people can claim they’ve come this close to one such wondrous and authentic before? Just thinking about how they wasted their precious opportunity on tourist traps angers me. I guess that’s why Su Jing ended up not joining me. She knows how important this is to me, yet all she can think of is seeing the museum and crap like that. I get it, she doesn’t want to get all dirty, but still…

1800

Surprise, surprise, I found the old shack that everyone told me I’d better off not bothered with. Seriously, how difficult did they think finding this place is? Even with incomplete maps, one can easily nail it by pouring over the bits of information people have gathered over the years. No wonder Silvia is said to be the last true professional cryptid hunter. I thought the news was exaggerating, but seeing how the lot of them in town couldn’t even reach here, I find it more believable now. In any case, the shack’s holding up better than I thought. Yeah, there’s mold and dust everywhere, but at least the floor’s intact. Setting up a tent here’s gonna be easier than I thought. I wonder how the previous owner here felt when everything went to shit before died trying to protect the cryptid.

Day 2

0700

Nothing notable last night. Well, I heard a lot of different noises, but I’m certain none of them belonged to the cryptid. My great-grandad got the best impression of it. All the old people said so. As someone who had asked him to do the impression every day till he died, I doubt I’ll mistake other sounds for it. In any case, I’ll be exploring the surrounding area extensively. Once I’m sure the cryptid is nowhere to be found here, I’ll head to The Light.

1500

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I know I can be a klutz, but I swear I kept everything out of sight! Is it the cryptid? Did it discover the packed tent I hid under the floor? There was no sign of the cryptid anywhere around, though. Dammit. I guess I’m stuck here for the rest of the day trying to repair this damn thing.

1900

Ate a fruit I found on a branch. I think this is the most disgustingly delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. Why is it yellow?

Day 3

1100

Arrived at The Light. Man, I would’ve loved to see this thing in its prime. Then again, it was one of the reasons why things went to shit, so it’s probably not a good idea for me to poke around inside. Still, plenty for me to see here. It’s crazy to think this is one of the last few places in this world where we can glimpse at what the past society might’ve looked like. Heck, even if I don’t find the cryptid at the end, I think this journey has been pretty awesome.

1300

Holy shit, holy shit, I heard it! I’m damn fucking sure it’s the cryptid! It has to be! I abandoned my lunch immediately and bolted to the origin. The sound didn’t appear again, but I could hear something running around! The best part? My lunch was half-eaten when I came back! The cryptid must’ve lured me away to have a bite! Haha! I doubt it’s just a coincidence that some other critter came to eat my stuff in the short period while I was gone.

1900

I’m exhausted after running around for the whole day. Despite my best attempts, I didn’t get any closer to the cryptid again. Now I wonder if I should stick around or continue traveling further in. In any case, I think I’ll hit the bed after dinner.

Day 4

Checked everywhere. Saw signs of the cryptid possibly traveling deeper in. Will follow tomorrow.

Day 5

0900

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I see clouds gathering on the horizon. Everyone said the chances of raining are low during this season, but it doesn’t mean that the possibility is zero. Shit. If it does rain, then the cryptid’s track, at least what I think is the cryptid’s track, will become difficult to follow. God, I hope I’m not wrong about following this path. I may be able to identify it through the sound it makes, but not the tracks.

1200

Arrived on Prosperity’s Edge. I don’t know why they name the places here with fancy titles considering there’s nothing much here even before That Day. In any case, I’m starting to worry. I only have three more days left, two if I don’t count the trip back. I have to find the cryptid. I have to. There’s no telling when I’ll have another chance, and Kim’s… I have to find and photograph it.

2200

Shit. More tracks but no signs of the cryptid. Had to eat a… thing I found in a pond. At least, I think it’s a pond. Anyway, I took a picture of it, so I’m not describing it here. I suck at that anyway. It was surprisingly delicious when roasted. Anyway, I can hear thunder rumbling in the distance. Hopefully, it won’t rain tomorrow.

Day 6

1400

Guess what happened. Guess what fucking happened. Yeah. If traveling for kilometers on end under a scorching sun was bad, then doing the same on a rainy day is ten times worse. I’m not going to lie, I’m despairing. Even though the rain was thankfully light, it still made following the cryptid worse, especially because it hates rain too and blends into the environment well in the dark. In any case, I’ve reached the edge, but I couldn’t find the cryptid. I was certain I followed it well, but it just… disappeared. I know it has a tendency to do that, which is why no one has found it yet despite the relatively small size of this area. For some reason, I have a feeling I may still encounter it on my way back to the shack. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

Day 7

2300

Nothing. I combed through every centimeter on my way back and found nothing. I even spent an extra few hours back at The Light, hoping I’d find it there. I was a fool. Honestly, as I lean my wet back against the wall right now, I want to cry. I’ve dreamed of this journey for so long. No one believed my great-grandparents or their friends were telling the truth. And as time went on, fewer and fewer people took it seriously. It still exists. I know it. How can a cryptid as nimble and clever as it disappears along with so many other things on That Day? It doesn’t seem like it is based on what Great-Grandpa told me.

Great-Grandma often told me how the cryptid didn’t always have that title back when they were young. I always loved listening to her stories about how great of a companion it was, even if it was a little mischievous at times. I fell in love with it without even seeing it for myself. It’s like… a part of my soul is connected to them. No one around me understood this inexplicable feeling except for Kim. Even when they seemed skeptical about the cryptid, they always supported me. That’s why I wanted to find it, but now…

I don’t know what to do. I can’t sleep, even though my body’s tired. Please, if there is a god out there, show me a miracle. Please. I promise I won’t ask for anything else again in my life. Please, I just want to see it…

2330

I heard it.

I heard the sound the cryptid made.

Even though I was on the verge of falling asleep, I’m certain it was the cryptid.

2340

It’s here.

I know it.

It’s been pacing back and forth on the roof. I heard it.

I also heard a few raindrops. I can’t believe I’m wishing it would rain again after complaining about it for two days. If it rains now, there’s a good chance it may come in.

2350

Yes! Yes! It rained! Not a lot, but definitely enough to prompt the cryptid to enter the shack! I heard it moving toward the entrance on the roof. I’m so excited that my hands are trembling as I pull out my camera. All windows of the shack has been blocked, so it can only come through the entrance. Now, I just need to remain very still and aim the camera at the entrance.

2358

It’s getting closer. I think it’s at the steps right now. I heard it making its sound in that direction. I just need to not fuck this up. Kim, it’s really happening.

Day 8

0000

I saw it. Its piercing yellow eyes and black iris. Even though I had myself pretty well, it looked straight at me the moment it stood at the entrance. I can’t make out the rest of its body, but I don’t need to. The eyes and the sound were enough confirmation. I don’t know if I should use flash now because it may run away before I did it. However, it’s too dark right now. I need better lighting to photograph it.

Ha, I can’t believe it. The cryptid of my dreams is right in front of me, and I don’t know what to do. I already took a photo of it in the dark, but it’s not a convincing picture of the cryptid. So, I just stared at it, and it just stared at me.

0100

I can’t hold on any longer. My entire body is screaming for rest, and using flash now won’t guarantee a good picture. Now, I’m just sitting with my legs crossed, slowly drifting to sleep. Is this it? I don’t know why I’m not happier. I’ve seen the cryptid with my own eyes, yet… Maybe my search for a cryptid has become something more than that.

Oh, Kim, I want you to witness this with me so badly…

0130

Just before I passed out, I saw it stepping toward me, and then… I think it sat on my lap, purring. Great-Grandpa will be so happy if he’s still alive. Its fur is so soft…

0730

When I opened my eyes, I saw it standing at the entrance, facing against the rising sun at me. For some reason, I knew what it was allowing me to do. The look in its eyes couldn’t be more obvious. My brain was still hazy, but I was conscious enough to hold my camera, aimed it at the black, furry creature in front of me, and took the photo.

It was beautiful.

1500

I’m now on my way back home. It still felt so surreal, like it was a dream, but the picture in my hand proves it’s not.

Honestly, I still don’t know if what I did was right, not telling any locals about the sighting of the cryptid. Of course I wanted to prove the cryptid was still alive and well, but I didn’t want it to be disturbed as well. If I share this picture, there’s no doubt people are going to tear the place apart looking for it. If that happens, then it may truly disappear forever, and I don’t want that.

Maybe, one day, the cryptid’s population will rise, and their return to the world will no longer pose a threat to their survival. For now, I’m content that I was able to take a photo of it and even touched it.

I can’t wait for Kim to see the picture of this adorable cat.